After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

At this moment, outside the door, President Wang and Chairman Zhang were still freezing. They were both stunned when they saw Zhao Chengming walk out with a somber expression.

"Oh, Mr. Zhao, is this... finished eating? How come so fast?" Chairman Zhang asked tentatively, peeking through the gap in the curtain.

Zhao Chengming ignored them completely, walked straight into the snowstorm, and strode towards the Mercedes parked at the intersection.

Old Xu hunched his neck and followed closely behind, not daring to breathe too loudly.

"Bang!"

The car doors slammed shut, completely shutting out the howling wind and snow outside.

At this moment, Zhao Chengming's face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip from it.

The air pressure inside the carriage was frighteningly low.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Old Xu glanced at his boss's ashen face in the rearview mirror, swallowed hard, and mustered his courage to ask:

"Mr. Zhao... are we just going to swallow this insult? That kid is too arrogant. Does he really think our Shuweitang is made of clay?"

"Swallow it?" Zhao Chengming sneered, his voice carrying a chilling ruthlessness. "My Zhao family has been in business in Jiangcheng for four generations, and no one has ever made me swallow my anger!"

"So, what were you doing in the store just now...?"

"That commotion in the store just now was just a shrew's rant!" Zhao Chengming took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incredibly profound.

"Li Dayong and the others are watching. If I point out any flaws on the spot, I'll be slapping myself in the face and disgracing the reputation of Shuweitang!"

Old Xu was stunned for a moment. "Then what do we do? Just watch him siphon all our high-end customers away? If this continues, those private rooms on the third floor will really have to close down and starve!"

"What right does he have to steal my customers?" Zhao Chengming narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at the direction of Jin Street outside the car window, the fire in his eyes growing stronger.

"Isn't it just about bringing out the original flavor of the ingredients with a pot of clear water?"

"These big bosses, who are used to eating delicacies, are tired of eating meat and fish all the time. Now they are obsessed with this kind of 'unadorned and simple' clear soup style."

"Didn't Lin Fan try to beat me with clear broth? Since he wants to play on the clear broth track, then I'll beat him back with clear broth!"

Old Xu was dumbfounded; his hands gripping the steering wheel trembled slightly.

"Clear broth? But Mr. Zhao, we started out making Sichuan and Chongqing hot pot! Our signature dish is a rich, oily, and spicy beef tallow broth. How could we possibly compete with them using a clear broth?"

"Who told you that all I, Zhao Chengming, can do is make spicy hot pot?"

Zhao Chengming ripped off his tie, his eyes flashing with a desperate madness and the absolute confidence inherent in the bones of a veteran restaurateur.

"Back to the store! Right now!"

The Mercedes roared through the snow as it sped toward Shuweitang.

"Old Xu, listen up. Go and tell the kitchen right now to clear out the small private kitchen next to room A on the third floor! Empty it completely of everyone, not even a fly is allowed in!"

"At the same time, contact my private, secret supply channel."

"I want the best free-range hens, they must be at least three years old! Go to the slaughterhouse and pick out the freshest pork bones for me, the kind with the marrow still attached! And top-quality wild matsutake mushrooms, premium dried scallops..."

Old Xu's heart skipped a beat. He had been following Zhao Chengming for ten years and had never seen his boss put on such a show of being on high alert, as if it were all or nothing.

"Mr. Zhao, what are you going to do?"

"Secluded myself to make soup!"

Zhao Chengming spoke slowly and deliberately, each word sounding as if it were being forced out from between his teeth.

"The Lin family's shop simply boils top-quality mutton in plain water to achieve its freshness; they rely on the inherent quality of the mutton itself. That's called taking shortcuts!"

"The essence of hot pot lies in its broth! If meat tastes so good even when cooked in plain water, what if you used a pot of exquisite broth filled with the finest delicacies from land and sea? The umami flavor would definitely increase tenfold!"

Zhao Chengming's eyes gleamed with a terrifying light in the dimly lit carriage.

"I'm going to cook a truly top-quality three-delicacy matsutake mushroom clear soup hot pot! Three days from now, I'm going to set up a stall across from Golden Street and invite all the restaurant owners over!"

"I'm going to use this incredibly flavorful clear broth hot pot to rightfully prove the worth of our Shuweitang Old Hot Pot!"

……

It was late at night, at 2 a.m.

The snowstorm not only did not stop, but instead fell heavier and heavier, enveloping the entire city in a deathly white expanse.

The noise in the lobby of Shuweitang had completely subsided. The employees had finished cleaning and pulled down the heavy roller shutter.

At the far end of the third floor, in that private little kitchen where no one was allowed to approach and where even cleaning required Zhao Chengming's personal supervision, the lights were on, as bright as day.

Zhao Chengming took off his high-end custom-made coat and expensive suit and put on a pure white chef's uniform that was a few years old, faded from washing, but ironed perfectly.

He stood before the large stainless steel counter, his face solemn. Those hands, accustomed to holding commercial contracts and signing deals worth tens of millions, now picked up a heavy kitchen knife once more.

On the counter were top-quality ingredients that he had Lao Xu obtain overnight at high prices, using all his connections.

Three three-year-old free-range hens with shiny yellow skin and rough claws.

A dozen or so thick, fresh pork bones, with bright red blood still clinging to their cut surfaces.

A whole box of premium large-sized dried scallops exuding a rich sea breeze aroma; and a basket of premium wild Shangri-La matsutake mushrooms, freshly air-freighted and still carrying the fragrance of the earth.

The head chef stood at the kitchen doorway, peering inside with a look of bewilderment and shock.

He has been working at Shuweitang for five years, and he has never seen the boss cook himself, let alone prepare these seemingly bland ingredients.

The head chef asked cautiously, "Are you really going to make the clear broth base all by yourself? Should I find a few of the most skilled bone broth chefs in the kitchen to help you? It's too much work to pound so many bones."

"No need. You don't even deserve to look at this level of clear broth hot pot base."

Zhao Chengming didn't even look up, and directly ordered them to leave.

"Get out. Close the door behind you. Without my permission, no one is allowed to come in and disturb me while I'm making soup, even if the sky falls."

The head chef, having been rebuffed, didn't dare ask any more questions and quickly left.

As the heavy, soundproof wooden door to the small kitchen slammed shut, the entire space instantly fell silent, leaving only the low hum of the high-powered exhaust fan and the rushing sound of water in the sink.

Zhao Chengming took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Many people think that Shuweitang relies solely on its heavy oil and spiciness in its beef tallow hot pot base to make a name for itself, but they don't know that the clear broth base in the hands of a truly top-notch hot pot chef is the real test of skill.